A pair of peregrine falcons is nesting under the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle.
The couple, affectionately nicknamed Ariel and Maverick, hatched two chicks around June 11, 2017.
Three weeks after they hatched, WSDOT accompanied a licensed falcon bander to the bridge to placed identification bands around the chicks' legs.
Tagging the chicks is no small task - it requires descending 60 feet down a ladder, crossing a beam 95 feet in the air and possibly getting dive-bombed by Mom and Dad as they protect their babies.
In this photo, Ariel squawks and screeches loudly from the moment she sees us until we're gone. Fortunately, she doesn't attack this year.
Banding the chicks allows wildlife agencies and conservation groups to track the population and spread of peregrine falcons, which nearly went extinct due to pesticides.
University Bridge (Seattle) is a tourist attraction, one of the Bridges in Seattle, United States. It is located: 27 km from Kirkland, 570 km from Vancouver, 720 km from Portland. Read further
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